The obvious question should then be; what do the cash affiliate program stars do that is different? What magic formula do they use that sets them apart from the crowd?

However even before you discover what the well guarded secrets of the affiliate super stars may be, there are some very obvious mistakes that most people make which guarantees them failure. By simply correcting these mistakes any online entrepreneur involved in affiliate marketing can dramatically improve their chances of success. Let us focus on the three most common mistakes that affiliates make which lead to their resounding failure.

a) Affiliates Who Do Nothing And Yet Expect Results

It is amazing how little most affiliates do and yet they still expect results and are surprised and bitterly disappointed when do not get any. It just doesn't make any sense. The key rule in this life is that it is not realistic to expect something from nothing. It just doesn't work that way.

Actually what most affiliates do is to simply paste their affiliate link to their blog or site and then sit back and hope for the best. Of course nothing happens and they then turn round and tell everybody who cares to listen that affiliate programs and affiliate marketing do not work.

b) No Plan, No Strategy

Then there are those affiliates who will dive in and get involved in a flurry of activity doing that and the other. They may even get very busy while they are in the process. But as busy as they get, they will not produce much results from what they will be doing. The reason is very simple. Success in any business is not working hard, it is simply working smart more than anything else.

It is very important that you have a plan or strategy and that even as you get busy you must stick to it. And then at the end of a certain period of time, you should be able to sit down and analyze the results of what you have done and then either improve upon what you have just started or abandon your strategy if it is not working and try out something else.

c) No Way To Generate Targeted Traffic

The most important thing you must be able to do to succeed in any affiliate marketing program is to generate a constant supply of targeted qualified leads most of whom can easily be converted into paying clients and customers. It all starts with the generation of traffic in large enough quantities to enable you to get enough serious qualified leads on a regular basis.

Actually this should be obvious but many affiliates do not have a clue when marketing their programs.